Learn with me
Classes & tastings
From time to time I run small classes and tastings built around a simple idea: knowing where a wine comes from makes every future bottle more interesting. We taste through regions, meet the grapes behind the labels, and talk about what to reach for when you're standing in a shop wondering what to try.
Next class
Mid-to-late summer 2026
The next tasting is taking shape for mid-to-late summer. The region, the date, and the bottles are still being worked out. Drop me a line and I'll make sure you hear when it's on the calendar.
What to expect
How a class works
A handful of bottles from a specific region or grape family, poured alongside the context that makes them click — where they come from, what shapes their flavour, and what else you might like if you enjoy them. Everyday prices, genuine curiosity, no prior knowledge needed.
Past class
A lap of Italy in five glasses
Five bottles, five regions — from a Sardinian white to a red grown on an extinct volcano in Basilicata. The idea wasn't to taste the most famous names in Italy, but to show how much ground the country covers.
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Cherchi 'Billia' Vermentino di Sardegna 2023
Where we started: bright, saline, a bit of citrus pith. An island white that tastes like the sea air it grows in.
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Pra 'Otto' Soave Classico 2023
Soave's home grape, from the Classico heartland. Softer and more orchard-fruited than the Vermentino — a useful contrast.
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Ilatium Morini 'Campo dei Ciliegi' Valpolicella Ripasso 2017
The first red, and a lesson in technique: ripasso re-passes the wine over Amarone skins, which is where the extra depth comes from.
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Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico 2021
Sangiovese from high up in Radda. Sour cherry and grip — the benchmark most people are picturing when they say "Chianti".
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Grifalco Aglianico del Vulture 2021
Finished in the deep south, on volcanic soil. Dark, structured, properly tannic — the biggest wine of the night.